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South Africa and its tale of World Cup chokes!

Sankalp

Sankalp

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A cricket team with enormous talent...South Africa, widely hailed as most World Cup tournament's most complete side, alwyas chokes out at key stages.They lost all the all the knock out matches since their returning to International cricket in 1992.

Here are the list of famous South African Chokes in world cup matches:


1992 v England, semi-finals

Rain rules, since changed, altered South Africa's victory target from 22 off 13 balls to 21 off 1 in their first tournament since their readmission.




1996 v West Indies, quarter-finals
After showing imperious form in the group stages, winning five of five, the Proteas erred badly in selection, dropping star quick Allan Donald. Brian Lara's brilliant 111 sends them out.




1999 v Australia, semi-finals
With a single needed to win Donald ran when he didn't have to – there were two balls left and Lance Klusener was on strike – and he was run out. The match was tied and South Africa were out early again, having finished behind Australia in the Super Six. In an earlier meeting, Herschelle Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh, prompting the (possibly fictional) quip "you've just dropped the World Cup".


2003 v Sri Lanka, group match
Playing at home, heavy rain affected matters in Durban. South Africa misread the Duckworth/Lewis sheets – believing 229 to be the target, when it was 230. The resultant tie put paid to their hopes of reaching the Super Six stages.



2011 vs New Zeland,Quarter Final
Choked again at the hands of Oram and bowled out for 172.

So which according to you is the biggest Choke in South Africa World cup histroy? For me its the 1992 world cup.
 
2007 was a choke as well. 31/5 against Australia in the semi I think.

Not to forget the T20s and the CTs.
 
During the 1999 WC they had two chances to knock Australia out of the tournament to allow Pakistan to win it. However, the first match the arrogant Herschelle Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh and in the second Lance Klusener choked miserably.
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
During the 1999 WC they had two chances to knock Australia out of the tournament to allow Pakistan to win it. However, the first match the arrogant Herschelle Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh and in the second Lance Klusener choked miserably.
Click to expand...

They lost to Australia twice in 2007 too.

Might be just me, but Smith and co. always look timid against the Australians, never sledge them and all that. Some form of inferiority complex at play there, probably not related to World Cup games though.
 
1999 was the worst, but atleast we lost to what was probably the best team ever :don
 
I've watched them choke since 1999, surely it comes 1st and 2nd comes vs Ind in T20 World cup in 2007. They were unbeaten and had limited India to 150, all they needed was to get to 120. And not surprisingly they failed to do so. :))
 
Varun said:
They lost to Australia twice in 2007 too.

Might be just me, but Smith and co. always look timid against the Australians, never sledge them and all that. Some form of inferiority complex at play there, probably not related to World Cup games though.
Click to expand...

What else can explain breaking their 16 years of home domination and only team to win their twice in a row in centuries :kallis . Some teams can't even do it once :kohli
 
Cricfan4eva said:
I've watched them choke since 1999, surely it comes 1st and 2nd comes vs Ind in T20 World cup in 2007. They were unbeaten and had limited India to 150, all they needed was to get to 120. And not surprisingly they failed to do so. :))
Click to expand...

Haha remember that, they let RP Singh have the moment of his career that night. Ridiculous choke, that one.
 
Varun said:
They lost to Australia twice in 2007 too.

Might be just me, but Smith and co. always look timid against the Australians, never sledge them and all that. Some form of inferiority complex at play there, probably not related to World Cup games though.
Click to expand...

This is because they know that if they lose, they will be ridiculed by the fans and Aussies. In addition, the Australians are the experts in sledging and so even trying to sledge agianst them is just bringing bad luck upon yourself.
 
1999 how the hell can you lose when you need just one run from 2 balls... i remember one of the players dropped his bat and just ran... :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: it was the worst choke ever.... lucky are the teams that face africa in semi final. :p :p :p
 
hey how about the 2012 T20 world cup.... they only needed 2 from 2 and then boom the off stump is unrooted on a delivery that could have been guided for a double :p :p :p.... or letting india domiante most of the game until faf du plessi scored warna yeh full choke mode pay thay and even looked difficult in reaching 120 .
 
saiyan0312 said:
1999 how the hell can you lose when you need just one run from 2 balls... i remember one of the players dropped his bat and just ran... :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: it was the worst choke ever.... lucky are the teams that face africa in semi final. :p :p :p
Click to expand...

2003 they miscalculated the duckworth-luis target and achieved it one ball spared, Boucher played the last ball for a tuk and when he came back to pavallion he got to know they were one run short and are out of tournament.
 
Is it another Burnol thread or a genuine one? Let the poor Saffers live, for they are still no.1 after all the chokes
 
saiyan0312 said:
hey how about the 2012 T20 world cup.... they only needed 2 from 2 and then boom the off stump is unrooted on a delivery that could have been guided for a double :p :p :p.... or letting india domiante most of the game until faf du plessi scored warna yeh full choke mode pay thay and even looked difficult in reaching 120 .
Click to expand...

And they lost that game by 1 run too.
 
kungfu90 said:
2003 they miscalculated the duckworth-luis target and achieved it one ball spared, Boucher played the last ball for a tuk and when he came back to pavallion he got to know they were one run short and are out of tournament.
Click to expand...

Yeah but he didn't know that was a ball being legally delivered IIRC. He thought it was bowled for fun.
 
Ive posted this exact thread before along time ago, however 1992 wasnt a choke by S.A they were undone by stupid rain calculation rules.
 
2003 they miscalculated the duckworth-luis target and achieved it one ball spared, Boucher played the last ball for a tuk and when he came back to pavallion he got to know they were one run short and are out of tournament.
Click to expand...

Yeah taht was pretty bad too... what was he thinking? didnt he know the rules that the game is over when you reach the score....

And they lost that game by 1 run too.
Click to expand...

The closer the game is the more they choke :))) :)))
 
Re: South Africa and its tale of world cup chokes!

This is more a mental thing. Has nothing to do with any deficiency in domestic cricket
 
Have to say the 99 was the biggest choke. And they had two opportunities to finish off the Aussies. In the first one, the game was practically theirs if Gibbs hunf on to Steve Waugh's chance. And we all knew what happened in the SF
 
Re: South Africa and its tale of world cup chokes!

99 was an epic choke and also the WC quarter final 2011 against New Zealand. South Africa was the only team to beat the champs India in that tournament.
 
Avenger said:
This is more a mental thing. Has nothing to do with any deficiency in domestic cricket
Click to expand...

It is. I also think its because of their approach to the game. They are very methodical and thorough when it comes to planning their strategy for a game. But they dont react well when things dont go their way. IIRC Steve Waugh wrote in an article in the 90s that the Saffers are very rigid when it comes to their plans. He observed how Shaun Pollock always started a new spell in the 32nd over of a game regardless of the match situation. Now thats some weird thing in cricket. Its all good to have plans but sometimes they need to evolve with changing scenarios. Even though they have come a long way, I guess they are still a group that are rigid in the way they play.
 
Love Pakistan said:
99 was an epic choke and also the WC quarter final 2011 against New Zealand. South Africa was the only team to beat the champs India in that tournament.
Click to expand...

Yeah it looked like they had finally turned the corner and were favorites atleast in my mind for the WC crown. But I guess old habits die hard.
 
Fire Bird said:
Yeah it looked like they had finally turned the corner and were favorites atleast in my mind for the WC crown. But I guess old habits die hard.
Click to expand...

That India would win that WC was inevitable in everyone's mind.

That SA reached finals or that Aussies had McGrath/Gilly or Pak Wasim/aamir was irrelevant, it wouldn't have changed anything.
 
I'm pretty annoyed with chokers but gotta feel for SA fans. They always come so close to winning WC, go in as favorites yet choke tournament after tournament :kallis
 
I feel so sad for the 1999 SF... everytime I see that video!
 
Varun said:
They lost to Australia twice in 2007 too.

Might be just me, but Smith and co. always look timid against the Australians, never sledge them and all that. Some form of inferiority complex at play there, probably not related to World Cup games though.
Click to expand...

South Africa and Australia have met 81 times in ODI's Australia winning 42 times South Africa winning 36 times with 3 ties. Tell me how have they looked "timid" against them when no other side comes close to those numbers? We have always pushed Australia to the tilt. People can call South Africa whatever they like but cricket is alive today thanks to South Africas return to international cricket. Every memorable game in the last 20 years involves South Africa. The 1999 world cup comes to mind, people can call it a choke but i'm sure they enjoyed it as they were neutrals. The 438 game. Razzaq's innings in the U.A.E. The 47 all out test match. Tendulkar's double ton. Artheton vs Donald. The 414 test match, etc. Any game that involves South Africa is a million times better than the Ashes. I'll take the chokers tag thank you very much.
 
Last edited:
iv never cried when we lost matches. but 1999 was heartbreaking. i went to my room n cried. we had the best team....except for a world class spinner.
Kirsten
Gibbs
Kallis
Cullinan
Cronje
Rhodes
Pollock
Klusener
Boucher
Elworthy
Donald.

The best ODI team from south africa ever.
i remember Donald, Elworthy, Kallis were bowling 140km consistently. Klusener was a game breaker and basically picked the Sri Lankans pocket. If ever there was a choke that was it!
 
It's sad but the truth is If there was a test match WC the saffers will choke... it's not tests odis or T20s....it's all in the MIND..... sad but true
 
Itachi said:
In 1992, they deserted to be winner more than pakistan.
Click to expand...

If we are talking who deserved to win the 1992 then it is New Zealand and they were beaten twice by Pakistan and those were the only two matches Kiwis lost in that tournament. So Pakistan deserved their World Cup win in 1992 for beating the best team in the tournament twice.
 
DARK MAGICIAN said:
iv never cried when we lost matches. but 1999 was heartbreaking. i went to my room n cried. we had the best team....except for a world class spinner.
Kirsten
Gibbs
Kallis
Cullinan
Cronje
Rhodes
Pollock
Klusener
Boucher
Elworthy
Donald.

The best ODI team from south africa ever.
i remember Donald, Elworthy, Kallis were bowling 140km consistently. Klusener was a game breaker and basically picked the Sri Lankans pocket. If ever there was a choke that was it!
Click to expand...

yeah that game hurts to this day. Something inside me tells me that was the greatest ODI game ever, yes even better than the 438 game. But the hurt does not allow me to affirmatively say out loud. When my friends and i discuss ODI games i put up face and choose the 438 game. If/When South Africa win a world cup, then i will outrightly choose that game over the 438.
That heartbreaking defeat reminds me of when Chelsea were robbed against Barcelona in the UEFA champions league semi final (we totaly dominated them). Every time Chelsea got knocked out in the Champions League i always thought of that game and wondered what if. I had that game in my computer and all the conspiracies videos around it, but i never watched them, coz of the pain. When Chelsea won last year i was able to watch those videos without any hurt, it felt really good. So hopefully SA wins a world cup soon, i want to watch that game again, it was classic.
 
We know what we are!!
We know what we are!!
Champions of europe, we know what we are!!
:)
 
the 2011 one. NZ were thrashed by lanka, india and BD in the series before the world cup. And yet SA lost chasing a below par total on a good batting pitch.
 
Re: South Africa and its tale of world cup chokes!

Lol I remember that game like yesterday. Bangla crowd was polite and cheered both teams. They probably cheered us towards the end as we were underdogs.
 
I always considered SA favourites for the WC, but I always knew they would not win. 1999 choke was the mother of them all. 1992 was not a choke, just bad luck, but this incident seems to have mutated their DNAs since then.
 
The last 3 in the OP were chokes, the first 2 were bad luck.
 
99 was the biggest choke....why the hell Donald ran...LAnce was doing all nicely.....
 
vandokkum said:
Calm down dude, the OP is Indian.
Click to expand...
These threads are a bit irritating. I have said before. Whenever someone starts threads about choking I'll throw it back at them.

I have a whole book about choking. If anyone wants to read, they should buy it.
 
Varun said:
Never knew the word "choke" riles South Africans up. I guess you learn something new every day.
Click to expand...
Would you have the balls to call Dale Steyn or Allan Donald a choker and faceup to them in the nets and have a few bouncers bowled to you? lol

No pain, no gain, eh?
 
JustAnotherFan said:
Would you have the balls to call Dale Steyn or Allan Donald a choker and faceup to them in the nets and have a few bouncers bowled to you? lol
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter, I ain't the opponent they're facing off to in the next crunch game am I? lol
 
JustAnotherFan said:
Would you have the balls to call Dale Steyn or Allan Donald a choker and faceup to them in the nets and have a few bouncers bowled to you? lol

No pain, no gain, eh?
Click to expand...

Steyn and Donald dont choke in the nets. They choke only inside a pressure cooker, i.e big tournaments.
 
They wont stop once they start winning, just like Spain
 
Last edited:
Executioner said:
Champions of Europe? LOL

You should know that South Africa is in the South of Africa
Click to expand...

in football my heart is blue and in Europe :), so yeah ....Champions of Europe we know what we are!! Could not be bothered with cheats like Man United and Barcelona.
 
soso_killer said:
in football my heart is blue and in Europe :), so yeah ....Champions of Europe we know what we are!! Could not be bothered with cheats like Man United and Barcelona.
Click to expand...

I know that blues consider a team that aligns more than two passes in match as cheaters. And if a team does 5 in a row, that's dopping right there.

Ajmal Hater, ManU Hater, Barca Hater.

I think I can see a pattern there, something in the line of inferiority complex and jealousy...
 
endymion248 said:
I know that blues consider a team that aligns more than two passes in match as cheaters. And if a team does 5 in a row, that's dopping right there.

Ajmal Hater, ManU Hater, Barca Hater.

I think I can see a pattern there, something in the line of inferiority complex and jealousy...
Click to expand...

"inferiority complex" lol. I just won the Champions League last year, inferior to who? Barcelona cant even beat a 10 men Chelsea even with a referees help, giving Chelsea an unnecessary red card. Man United had not won at Stamford Bridge in 10 years, needed that racist who hates black players Mark Clattern to give two uncalled for red cards, they still could not beat a 9 men Chelsea the useless cheats, and required further help from the linesman and scored in a clear off side position. Inferior to what? Meanwhile We have been thrashing Man Utd for fun at Old Trafford.
As for Ajmal why would i be jealous when South Africa has produced rubbish spiners? As a neutral i just prefer Swann thats all. No jealousy, no hate, no nothing
 
2011 New Zealand, anybody? I fell asleep when Kallis and de Villiers when piling up the runs on their way to the small 230 total and the next morning my cellphone listed New Zealand victors by 49 runs.

I couldn't believe my eyes.
 
2011 New Zealand, anybody? I fell asleep when Kallis and de Villiers when piling up the runs on their way to the small 230 total and the next morning my cellphone listed New Zealand victors by 49 runs.

I couldn't believe my eyes.
 
vandokkum said:
1999 was the worst, but atleast we lost to what was probably the best team ever :don
Click to expand...

U didnt Lose to the best team ever
U made them the best team ever ..from that point on they believed they could do anything and win from impossible position.

Probably the best brain freeze ever in Odi cricket on part of Allan Donald duck. No matter how good a bowler he was would always be remembered for that.
 
badxhah said:
U didnt Lose to the best team ever
U made them the best team ever ..from that point on they believed they could do anything and win from impossible position.

Probably the best brain freeze ever in Odi cricket on part of Allan Donald duck. No matter how good a bowler he was would always be remembered for that.
Click to expand...

In that WC SA were no.1 favorites followed by the mercurial Pak. Aus were listed as no.3 in terms of expectations. But Aus team had the mental strength to win key moments in the game and win the cup. :jf
 
south africa the kings of winning when it doesn't matter
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
During the 1999 WC they had two chances to knock Australia out of the tournament to allow Pakistan to win it. However, the first match the arrogant Herschelle Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh and in the second Lance Klusener choked miserably.
Click to expand...

he was the star of the 1999 WC including the very last ball he batted. Donald made the mistake, not Klusener.
 
Lost to India by 150 runs >> Back to back 400s against struggling teams and won by massive margins >> Now crumbling under pressure against Pakistan



Yeah. Most dangerous team in the world and title contenders. :)))
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Lost to India by 150 runs >> Back to back 400s against struggling teams and won by massive margins >> Now crumbling under pressure against Pakistan



Yeah. Most dangerous team in the world and title contenders. :)))
Click to expand...

Chasing has been harder in this WC than ever before. Even India were not comfortable chasing 180 against the WI. I am pretty sure SA would have won at least one of the matches against India and Pakistan, if they had batted first.
 
Probably South Africa wanted to chase to test themselves in this match and realized that chasing under pressure isn't really their thing
 
These guys can't chase. Just like Pakistan. :))

They better hope they win the toss from here on and just bat first.
 
ABD proving his choking ability again today. Just can't crack it in world tournaments. I remember how he gave it away (also batting at 77) against us in SA chasing 262, and then in the t20 WC against India to an Ashwin long hop lol.

Don't be surprised if they don't end up winning the world cup. Batting is over reliant on Amla Bhai and ABD. Duminy and Miller are glorified minnow bashers, and Du Plessis may come off, may not.
 
To be honest, a middle order of Duminy, Miller and Rossuwow can't win you games in WC.
Miller has 20+ games against West Indies and Zimbabwe and has an average of 37 after 65 ODIs.
Duminy will not win a game 6 rpo+ rr.
Rossuwow is total rookie.
 
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